How to store your old and new media

Note: Information provided below covers basic consumer questions. It does not provide in-depth
details on more stringent practices we would provide to our corporate clients with media archives.

First, some thoughts on the digital age....
Past generations of audiovisual media have had a unique, robust quality that helped enable its
longevity. Decay of older media formats was slow. Damage to media most often meant repair
or removal of the damaged portion, or just playing through to the undamaged portion. Since old
media formats were tangible objects, they were not as easily lost or misplaced.

With conversion of old analog media to modern formats and newly produced media, more and
more media now rests in the digital age. Digital media is easier to play, view and share. It is
not prone to typical deterioration. With these benefits we must be mindful to the fragility of the
digital medium. As technology advances, hard drives get bigger and less expensive allowing
for more data to be stored in the same place, more of which can all be lost in the blink of an
eye. Files can be overwritten, changed, reformatted or erased with a simple error of a
mouse-click or intrusion of a computer virus. Files are lost in cyberspace much easier than
their "hardcopy" tangible predecessors. Digital disk media varies greatly in quality and
reliability from manufacturer to manufacturer and can be easily scratched, cracked, improperly
handled or mislabeled, rendering the entire disk (not just the damaged portion) unplayable.

We are presented with the possibility of loosing more media history in the short period
of our current generation, than has been lost with the slow decay of 100+ years of media
history on more tangible, robust, formats of the past. Proper planning, backup, storage,
migration and conservation are the keys to preserving new media in this digital age.

How do I store my media until I'm ready to transfer it?
First, inspect your media. Movie film, slide/transparency films and some audiotape can take
on "Vinegar Syndrome", most often identified by a faint to strong, vinegar odor. Film, photos,
slides, analog disk recordings, videotape and audiotape can all be contaminated by fungus
(including mold and mildew). Videotape and audiotape can take on too much moisture which
can break down the tape through hydrolysis ("sticky tape syndrome"). Another serious tape
breakdown is flaking. If you find any of the above issues, call us immediately to have us
examine your media. Some fungus types can be very hazardous to your health.

Remove any media stored in your attic or basement (even in a finished basement will have
higher levels of humidity than the rest of the house and below ground storage is suseptible to
flooding). Store your media in a first floor closet or bedroom where temperature and humidity
swings are less. Media should be allowed to breathe. Do not store your media in zip-lock
bags, Tupperware tubs, metal film tins or other air-tight containers. Keep magnetic media
such as videotape, audiotape and magnetic stripped sound movie film away from electronic
devices such as TV's, stereo equipment, power outlets or speakers. Videotape and audiotape
should be stored upright, standing on end. Do not rewind video or audiotape after use, keep it
in the "tails out" position. Film and photographic materials should be stored in a dark
environment to keep them from fading. Always wash your hands first before handling slides or
photos. Photographs should not come in contact with acid based paper or strong smelling
clear plastic covers such as PVC, both found in many inexpensive photo albums. If you own
audio disk recordings, store them upright with support on both ends so that they will not warp.
Do not expose very old records to any liquid or cleaning solutions, they can be damaged when
they come in contact with liquid. If you would like more information on proper storage
conditions for a specific media, please contact us.

How do I prepare for transfer of my memories?
Have as much detail possible noted on your media. Titles, dates, and subject matter of each
piece help us to organize your media transfer. Put your media in the order you want to see it
after transfer. If you write on the back of a photo, lightly use a graphite pencil. Photos and
slides should all be numbered in the order you want them scanned. We very strongly urge
you not to run movie film, videotapes or audiotapes to identify them. An old playback
unit or playing media that is deteriorating can cause irreversible damage and render
your media unable to be transferred. If you are unsure of the date or subject matter, it can
be labeled after transfer.

What do I do with my old media after it is transferred?
We highly recommend keeping your old media for as long as possible. This is especially true
if you might have future plans to use some of your media for a special purpose and you may
require a different format or larger size. We are happy to give you guidance on the proper
storage conditions for your type of original media. If you insist on not storing your original
media, at the very least, continue to store your old media until you have had the chance to
review your new converted media to insure that everything has been transferred to your
satisfaction and ONLY if you have had proper backup media made.

After my material is transferred, how do I store my digital media?
Store any digital media disks (CD or DVD) vertically in the cases we provide. We highly
recommend that you have us make a backup disk for each master disk produced as a simple
scratch can render disk media unplayable. If you request backup disk media in envelopes,
store them in proper archival cardboard or plastic media storage cases. Store backup media in
a different location than the master, preferably in a different building. Store all digital disk
media away from direct sunlight as UV rays can break down the recorded dye layers of digital
media disks. Do not label your digital media disk with adhesive labels or permanent markers.
Both cause problems down the road. If you have to, any additional labeling should be made
with markers expressly made for this purpose. Take care in handling your disk media. Never
touch the underside where the data is read from. Avoid cleaning disk media unless you know
what you're doing.

If you are storing your media in digital file format on computer hard drive, make sure to back
up these files to another drive or other storage media. Insure that the backup method (and any
disk maintenance software) does not compress or alter the original files. If your redundant
backup is another drive, it is best to power down this drive and disconnect it from your network
when not in use. Insure that your network is safeguarded from computer viruses. A UPS will
help protect you from some power issues that can damage your computer and backup drive,
but it is not a safe-guad for a direct lightning strike or brown-out. If you leave town, disconnect
your backup drive and move it off site. These are the basics to proper drive backup. All of the
details and methods are too numerous to outline here. Consult with us to review your best
options based on your individual needs and budget.

How long will my digital media last?
Since writable disk media has only been around since the mid 1990's, no-one knows for sure!
Experts and manufacturers all have different opinions. Much will depend on how you label,
store and handle your disk media. It's also important to insure that the disk media is
manufactured by a reliable source. These days, a reliable name may not really be so reliable.
Even the well-known manufacturers can subcontract out disk production. Fake disks or rip-offs
are commonly imported from China and distributed by large national chains without knowing
the media is a fake. Without special programs made to find the true manufacturing source,
even professional conversion companies quite often use disks that are inferior. In general,
when using a disk that is produced by our company with proper storage and handling
conditions as outlined above, CD-R disks have a conservative estimated lifespan of 6+ years
and DVD-R media of 15+ years. Very conservative consumer clients will elect to have either a
new redundant disk media backup made every five to six years and rotate the oldest backup
out or store the same files on a different storage medium such as computer hard drive.
Corporate client needs will be more stringent and vary widely. Each media library should be
assessed and addressed on an individual, case by case basis.

Media Transfer Service LLC. Rochester, NY . Phone: 585-248-4908 . Email: info@mediatransferservice.com